Using Email Communication to Increase Expatriate Parents' Knowledge of the Human Papillomavirus

Expatriates face a unique set of determinants to health which may influence their level of knowledge, perception of available preventative health care alternatives and their health seeking behaviors. The objective of this study is to understand the effect of an email communication intervention on expatriate parents' level of knowledge of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Repeated measurement of knowledge was conducted pre- and post-intervention among parents who received the study intervention (group 1) and those who received standard care (group 2). Intervention effect was measured by any change in knowledge within and between groups. The group 1 had a significant rise in knowledge mean from baseline to first and then second follow-up (m = 0.57 (SD 0.39), m = 0.84 (SD 0.16) and m = 0.87 (SD 0.11), respectively). In addition, after receiving the intervention, group 1 felt they had sufficient information to make an informed decision of whether to vaccinate their child(ren), with a significant difference from baseline to first post test, (χ² (1) = 8.50, p < 0.05). Based on an increase in knowledge, the study's email intervention proved effective mode to disseminating HPV-related information

Using Email Communication to Increase Expatriate Parents’ Knowledge of the Human Papillomavirus

Expatriates face a unique set of determinants to health which may influence their level of knowledge, perception of available preventative health care alternatives and their health seeking behaviors. The objective of this study is to understand the effect of an email communication intervention on expatriate parents’ level of knowledge of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Repeated measurement of knowledge was conducted pre- and post-intervention among parents who received the study intervention (group 1) and those who received standard care (group 2). Intervention effect was measured by any change in knowledge within and between groups. The group 1 had a significant rise in knowledge mean from baseline to first and then second follow-up (m = 0.57 (SD 0.39), m = 0.84 (SD 0.16) and m = 0.87 (SD 0.11), respectively). In addition, after receiving the intervention, group 1 felt they had sufficient information to make an informed decision of whether to vaccinate their child(ren), with a significant difference from baseline to first post test, (χ² (1) = 8.50, p < 0.05). Based on an increase in knowledge, the study’s email intervention proved effective mode to disseminating HPV-related information

Comparing Log-based and Exponent-based Functions to Predict Human Height by Foot Length

Background: Human height estimation is critical in medicolegal cases. This anthropometric measurement not only reveals racial differences but also aids police investigation to narrow down. Foot size varies in different races and ethnic groups, because of genetic influence on development height. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between foot size and the height of a person in a particular context. The current research also compared log-based function and exponent-based function to explore which best fits the relation between age, foot size, and height.Methods: This cross-sectional study included foot measurements from 240 participants of 6 different age groups in the age range of 2-21 years. Foot length and height were recorded as per standard methods after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board of COMSATs University Islamabad Pakistan and gaining consent from the study participants. Correlation and regression analyses were performed using SPSS V 23. In this study, two mathematical functions of log-based and exponent-based were compared to more accurately predict the behavior of two variables. The appropriateness of these candidate functions was evaluated using statistical parameters, including the Sum of Squared Errors (SSE), R2, adjusted R2, and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE).Results: The mean height of male participants of the age group of 3-5 years was higher than that of the female participants. Among 6-10-year-olds and 11-15-year-olds, female participants presented a greater height than males. In the age groups of 16-20 and ≥21 years, males were taller than females. The average foot size of males and females of all age groups was 22.09 cm and 20.44 cm, respectively. The exponent-based candidate functions best fitted the relationship between age, foot size, and height, compared to the log-based candidate function.Conclusion: Foot size indicated the highest correlation with height and minimum standard error in the estimation of stature. Therefore, foot size provided the highest reliability and accuracy in estimating height

Factors influencing quality of life (QOL) amongst elderly caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS in Phayao province, Thailand: a cross-sectional study [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: There are many impacts on quality of life among elderly people living with HIV patients. This study aimed to assess factors influencing quality of life among elderly people living with HIV/AIDS in a northern province of Thailand. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Phayao province, Thailand. A systematic sampling technique was employed to select study participants. 152 elderly participants aged 60 years and older with a family member living with HIV/AIDS were recruited to the study. They were interviewed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Older Adults Module (WHOQOL-OLD) questionnaire. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing quality of life among elderly people affected by family member living with HIV/AIDS. Results: The results of the study showed the mean age of elderly participants was 67.20 + 52 years, most of which were female (97 persons, 63.8%). The mean time taking care of HIV/AIDS patients was 6.61+ 4.96 years. In term of health status among the elderly participants, the majority did not have chronic diseases (61.4%), amongst those with chronic diseases (38.6%), hypertension and diabetes were the most common. The average quality of life score was at a fair level.  The time taking care of HIV/AIDS patients and health status were significant predictors of quality of life among participants 8.1 % (R2=.081; p < .05). Conclusion: In order to improve quality of life among elderly caregivers to family member living with HIV/AIDS, time taking care of HIV/AIDS patients and health status should be focused on, amongst other factors. Help and support from the government, community, health organizations, academic research, and family members can help improve quality of life amongst the elderly

The Effects of Housing on Health and Health Risks in an Aging Population:A Qualitative Study in Rural Thailand

Copyright © 2014 Ratana Somrongthong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Background. Over the last decade, Thailand has experienced an aging population, especially in rural areas. Research finds a strong, positive relationship between good quality housing and health, and this paper assesses the impact and living experience of housing of older people in rural Thailand. Methods. This was a mixed-method study, using data from observations of the physical adequacy of housing, semistructured interviews with key informants, and archival information from health records for 13 households in rural Thailand. Results. There were four main themes, each of which led to health risks for the older people: “lighting and unsafe wires,” “house design and composition,” “maintenance of the house,” and “health care equipment.” The housing was not appropriately designed to accommodate health care equipment or to fully support individual daily activities of older people. Numerous accidents occurred as a direct result of inadequate housing and the majority of houses had insufficient and unsafe lighting, floor surfaces and furniture that created health risks, and toilets or beds that were at an unsuitable height for older people. Conclusion. This paper provides an improved and an important understanding of the housing situation among older people living in rural areas in Thailand

Factors Influencing the Quality of Life (Qol) Among Thai Older People in a Rural Area of Thailand

Background: The population prevalence of older people has been growing worldwide. Quality of Life (QoL) among older people is a significant public health concern. Hence, this study aimed to assess level of QoL and factors influencing QoL among rural Thai older people. Methods: The study was undertaken in Phayao Province where is one of the top ten provinces with the highest index of Thai aging. A district in this province was purposively selected to be the study area and the quota-sampling technique was used for sample collection, totally 400 older people participated according to Taro Yamane. The WHOQoL-Old was employed to interview elderly QoL. Multivariate linear regression was performed to determine the factors influencing QoL among the older people. Results: Over two-thirds of older people (68.5%) had QoL at fair level. The vast majority (96%) had high scores for Activity Daily Living (ADL). Approximately one-fifth (20.5%) reported current smoking and 31.7% reported ever drinking during previous year. Following univariate analysis, nine factors – gender, age, education, working, income, present illness, drinking, ADL, and participating in elderly club were identified as being significantly associated with QoL (P <0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed four factors predictive of QoL among elderly: ADL, income, alcohol drinking, and present illness (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Physical function, health status and financial were the predictor of QoL among elderly. Noticeably, drinking was one predictive factor of QoL but only among moderate drinkers. Hence, healthy life style should be considered as key areas in attempts to promote QoL among elderly people

Predictors of Swimming Skill of Primary School Children in Rural Thailand

Drowning is a leading cause of childhood deaths in Asian countries. Children in primary school have a high rate of fatal drowning. These fatal drownings commonly occur in natural water bodies near the child’s residence. The 2004 Thai National Injury Survey reported a higher rate of drowning death in rural settings. While swimming skill is recommended to decrease drowning risk, there is a lack of information on factors contributing to a child’s swimming skill. This study assesses guardians’ perceptions of the swimming skill of rural primary school children and identifies associated risk and protective factors. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted during August-September 2009 in rural communities of Chiang Rai province, Thailand. We analyzed a total of 633 interview surveys completed with guardians of primary school children. Results revealed that less than one-fifth (19%) of the school children (age 6-12 years old) could swim. Multiple logistic regression showed that children who can swim are more likely to have attended swimming lessons Ratio [OR] = 23.95; 95% CI = 12.21-46.98); be 10-12 years of age (OR = 4.15; 95% CI = 2.35-7.30); be male (OR = 2.82; 95% CI = 1.67-4.77); have had self-reported life-threatening submersion experience (OR = 2.14; 95% CI = 1.10-4.12); or be the child of a guardian who can swim (OR = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.25-3.44). The results highlight the need to provide swimming lessons targeting all children beginning in the younger age groups. Local resources in natural water sites may provide a place for safe swimming lessons in rural areas

Influence of socioeconomic factors on daily life activities and quality of life of Thai elderly

Background: The increasing number of older people is a significant issue in Thailand, resulted in growing demands of health and social welfare services. The study aim was to explore the influence of socioeconomic factors on activities of daily living and quality of life of Thai seniors. Design and methods: Using randomised cluster sampling, one province was sampled from each of the Central, North, Northeast and South regions, then one subdistrict sampled in each province, and a household survey used to identify the sample of 1678 seniors aged 60 years and over. The Mann-Whitney U-test and binary logistic regression were used to compare and determine the association of socioeconomic variables on quality of life and activities of daily living. Results: The findings showed that sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors were significantly related to functional capacity of daily living. Education levels were strongly associated with daily life activities, with 3.55 adjusted ORs for respondents with secondary school education. Gender was important, with females comprising 61% of dependent respondents but only 47% of independent respondents. Seniors with low incomes were more likely to be anxious in the past, present and future and less likely to accept death in the late stage, with 1.40 Adjusted ORs (95%CI: 1.02-1.92), and 0.72 (95%CI: 0.53-0.98), respectively. However, they were more likely to engage in social activities. Conclusions: While socioeconomic factors strongly indicated the functional capacity to live independently, a good quality of life also required other factors leading to happiness and life satisfaction

Correlates of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices about Health Care Waste Management among Hospital Workers of Pakistan

BACKGROUND: Healthcare waste is considered as neglected public health problem in developing countries. OBJECTIVES: We aimed this study to explore the factors affecting the Knowledge, attitude and practices of health workers regarding healthcare waste management (HCWM) in Pakistan. METHODS: Cross sectional study was done in two major public-sector hospitals in Pakistan. Validated, pre-structured questionnaire used to interview 275 physicians, nurses and other auxiliary staff after taking written consent. The sample size was selected according to the proportional size of the each HCW after sample size calculation for their equal representation from all the healthcare workers groups. RESULTS: The responses to 24 questions for knowledge, 12 questions for attitude and 20 for practice were used to create three respective dependent variables for analysis to measure independent association of socio-demographic factors on the health workers’ knowledge, attitude and practice. Younger workers, males and paramedics were statistically significantly less likely to achieve mean score on knowledge and HCWM practices (P=<0.05). Operation theatres workers as compared to other departments were 25 times more knowledgeable and had better practices (P=<0.05). Paramedical staff was more knowledgeable and had better practices while handling the healthcare waste as compared to physicians and nursing staff (P=<0.001). Physicians had positive attitude as compare to paramedics and nursing staff (P=<0.001). Workers with 5-10 years of experience were 4 times more likely to have positive attitude about HCWM (P=<0.02). CONCLUSION: The occupation was statistically significant factors affecting the Knowledge, attitude and practices among doctors, paramedics and nurses